Novel catalysts comprising nickel oxide nanoparticles supported on alumina nanoparticles, methods of their manufacture, heavy oil compositions contacted by these nanocatalysts and methods of their use are disclosed. The novel nanocatalysts are useful, inter alia, in the upgrading of heavy oil fractions or as aids in oil recovery from well reservoirs or downstream processing.

A process for producing liquid hydrocarbon products from a biomass-containing feedstock and/or a biomass-derived feedstock is provided. The process comprises: a) contacting the feedstock with a hydropyrolysis catalyst composition and molecular hydrogen in a hydropyrolysis reactor vessel to produce a product stream comprising a deoxygenated hydrocarbon product, H.sub.2O, H.sub.2, CO.sub.2, CO, C.sub.1-C.sub.3 gases, char and catalyst fines; b) removing char and catalyst fines from said product stream; c) cooling the remaining product stream to a temperature of no more than 300 C.; and d) hydroconverting all or a portion of said deoxygenated hydrocarbon product in a hydroconversion reactor in the presence of one or more catalyst compositions suitable for the aromatic saturation of the deoxygenated hydrocarbon product and of the H.sub.2O, CO.sub.2, CO, H.sub.2, and C.sub.1-C.sub.3 gas generated in step a), to produce a product comprising C.sub.4+ hydrocarbon product, H.sub.2O, CO, CO.sub.2, and C.sub.1-C.sub.3 gases.

A process for the preparation of aromatic compounds from a feed stream containing biomass or mixtures of biomass, the process comprising: a) subjecting a feed stream containing biomass or mixtures of biomass to a process to afford a conversion product comprising aromatic compounds; b) recovering the aromatic compounds from said conversion product; c) separating a higher molecular weight fraction comprising polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from a lower molecular weight fraction comprising benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) by distillation; d) reducing at least part of said higher molecular weight fraction to obtain a reduced fraction comprising polycyclic aliphatics (PCA); and e) subjecting the higher molecular weight fraction obtained in step c), the reduced fraction obtained in step d), or a mixture thereof, to a process to obtain lower molecular weight aromatics (BTX).

A process for producing liquid hydrocarbon products from a biomass-containing feedstock and/or a biomass-derived feedstock is provided. The process comprises: a) contacting the feedstock with a hydropyrolysis catalyst composition and molecular hydrogen in a hydropyrolysis reactor vessel to produce a product stream comprising a partially deoxygenated hydrocarbon product, H.sub.2O, H.sub.2, CO.sub.2, CO, C.sub.1-C.sub.3 gases, char and catalyst fines; b) removing char and catalyst fines from said product stream; c) cooling the remaining product stream to a temperature in the range of from 150 to 400 C.; and d) hydroconverting said partially deoxygenated hydrocarbon product in a hydroconversion reactor in the presence of one or more catalyst compositions suitable for hydrodeoxygenation and aromatic saturation of the partially deoxygenated hydrocarbon product in the presence of H.sub.2O, CO.sub.2, CO, H.sub.2, and C.sub.1-C.sub.3 gas generated in step a), to produce a vapour phase product comprising a C.sub.4+ hydrocarbon product.

The present invention provides a catalytic fast pyrolysis process for the production of fuel blendstocks and chemicals. In addition, the invention provides compositions of renewable blendstocks, compositions of renewable fuel blends, and compositions of 100 percent renewable fuels compatible with gasoline specifications and regulations.

The present disclosure relates to a process for producing crude bio oil from biomass. The process involves hydrothermally liquefying a biomass in presence of a catalyst at a temperature in the range of 250 C. to 400 C. and at a pressure in the range of 70 bar to 225 bar, to obtain a product mixture comprising crude bio-oil. This product mixture comprising crude bio-oil is cooled to obtain a cooled mixture; the oil is then separated from the cooled mixture to obtain crude bio-oil and a residue containing the catalyst. Carbon content of crude bio-oil is in the range of 60 wt % to 85 wt %.

The invention provides a catalyst system and method for the deoxygenation of hydrocarbons, such as bio-oil, using a sulphide-sulfate or an oxide-carbonate (LDH) system. The invention extends to a pyrolysis process of a carbonaceous bio-mass wherein a first combustion zone is carried out in one or more combustion fluidised beds in which a particulate material including chemically looping deoxygenation catalyst particles is fluidised and heated, and a second pyrolysis zone carried out in one or more pyrolysis fluidised beds in which the hot particles, including the catalyst particles, heated in the combustion zone are used for pyrolysis of the bio-mass, said combustion zone being operated at a temperature of from 250 C. to 1100 C., typically around 900 C., and the pyrolysis zone being operated at a temperature of from 250 C. to 900 C., typically 450 C. to 600 C., said catalyst particles being oxygenated in the pyrolysis zone in the presence of oxygenates in the pyrolysis oil and regenerated in the combustion zone either by calcining to drive off the carbon oxides, such as CO.sub.2, or by reduction to its form which is active for deoxygenation of the pyrolysis oil.

A method for thermal processing and catalytic cracking of a biomass to effect distillate oil recovery can include, particle size reduction. slurrying the biomass with a carrier fluid to create a reaction mixture, slurrying a catalyst with a carrier fluid to create a catalyst slurry, heating the reaction mixture and/or the catalyst slurry, and depolymerizing the reaction mixture with the catalyst. The reaction mixture can undergo distillation and fractionation to produce distillate fractions that include naphtha, kerosene, and diesel. In some embodiments, thermal processing and catalytic cracking includes vaporization of the biomass followed by distillation and fractionation. In some embodiments, a resulting distillate can be used as a carrier fluid. In some embodiments, the method can include desulfurization, dehydration, and/or decontamination.

Systems and methods of processing coal to form mesophase pitch include performing a low-severity direct coal liquefaction (LSDCL) process on a coal feedstock to produce a coal tar pitch therefrom. The systems and methods can include contacting coal directly with a catalyst in the presence of a solvent, pressurizing the coal in direct contact with the catalyst in the presence of the solvent to a predetermined pressure of about 1000 psia or less, heating the coal in direct contact with the catalyst in the presence of the solvent to a predetermined temperature of about 380 C. or less, and liquefying the coal to form a coal tar pitch. The coal tar pitch can be thermally treated to a liquid crystal phase exhibiting anisotropic spheres of mesophase and spun to form carbon fibers.

Method of producing hydrocarbon fuels from polyolefin waste materials, wherein: polyolefin waste materials are subjected to continuous depolymerisation in a tower flow reactor with a movable packing, which comprises a heating system for heating the lower half of the reaction chamber, where products of depolymerisation are collected in a gaseous state through an outlet in the upper half of the reaction chamber; and the obtained products of depolymerisation are subjected to catalytic hydrogenation and isomerization in an atmosphere of synthesis gas, under atmospheric pressure, to obtain a mixture of hydrocarbon fuels; characterised in that: polyolefin waste materials are mixed with heated elements constituting the packing of the reactor until the surface of the packing elements is coated with a thin layer of plasticised material, wherein in the depolymerisation process that obtained mixture is fed as a stream into the reaction chamber from the top of the chamber, whereas a synthesis gas is fed in a counter current from the bottom, the gas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H.sub.2) with the molar ratio CO:H.sub.2 being from 0.25 to 1.5: from 0.5 to 3.